1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a harness structure for a sliding door.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 12 and 13 show one embodiment of a electric power supplying device 61 having a conventional harness structure for a sliding door (see JP 2003-25850, A (FIGS. 2 and 4)).
The electric power supplying device 61 includes: an oblong case 63 mounted on a sliding door 62 of a vehicle; a slider 64 slidably engaged with a guiding rail (not shown) of the case 63; an oscillation member 65 swingably supported by a vertical shaft of the slider in a horizontal direction; and an outer sheath 66 in a form of a caterpillar arranged bendably in substantially a U-shape inside the case and extended between the oscillation member 65 and a vehicle body (not shown).
The outer sheath 66 is covered by a tube 67 between the sliding door and the vehicle body. As shown in FIG. 13, a plurality of electric wires (wiring harness) 68 are inserted into insides of the outer sheath 66 and the slider 64. The outer sheath 66 in the form of the caterpillar regulates the wiring harness 68 in such a manner to bend only vertically or horizontally.
By opening the sliding door in a direction A (rear side) from a state shown in FIG. 12, the slider 64 is moved forward relative to the case 63, and the wiring harness 68 is extended in substantially a J-shape in the case 63 with the outer sheath 66. A harness slack is absorbed by expanding or contracting the wiring harness 68 and the outer sheath 66 in accordance with opening or closing the sliding door 62. The outer sheath 66 regulates a direction of bending the wiring harness 68.
However, regarding the electric power supplying device 61 having the conventional harness structure, because expensive and complex outer sheath 66 in the form of caterpillar is used for regulating the direction of bending the wiring harness, the electric power supplying device 61 becomes expensive, heavy and time-consuming for assembling the outer sheath 66. Further, because the oblong case is arranged on the sliding door 62, a layout for the other auxiliaries or members are restricted. Further, since the wiring harness 68 is bent in substantially a V-shape from the slider 64 to the oscillation member 65 when the sliding door 62 is opened or closed, there is a fear that durability of the wiring harness 68 may be decreased because a large bending stress works for a bending part 68a of the wiring harness 68.
These problems may be happen not only the sliding door 62 of a vehicle, but also a sliding door for processing machinery or the like.
According to the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a harness structure for a sliding door that can smoothly and surely regulate the direction of bending the wiring harness when the sliding door is moved even with a low cost outer sheath, that can be compact without a large space for a width direction of a thickness direction of the sliding door, and that can improve bending durability when the sliding door is moved.